Maxim 9.5.3
The suppression of the truth is the expression of a falsehood.
Suppressio veri, expressio falsi.
Source: Addington v. Allen, 11 Wend. (N.Y.) 374, 417; Wharton, Max.; Weisman, 101e
Difficulty 1/5 — Foundational
Explanation
He who deliberately conceals a material fact is as culpable as one who affirmatively states what is untrue; silence, when there is a duty to speak, is a species of fraud.
Where this applies
- The other side is deliberately withholding information they're required to disclose.
- Someone stayed silent about a material fact when they had a duty to speak up.
- Hiding the truth is just as bad as lying outright.
Topics
See also
Cite this maxim
NeCede Max. 9.5.3 — The suppression of the truth is the expression of a falsehood. — Addington v. Allen, 11 Wend. (N.Y.) 374, 417; Wharton, Max.; Weisman, 101e (Suppressio veri, expressio falsi.)
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